tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379137252015-02-01T17:21:36.927-07:00sometimes far afieldmdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-27880762258417332382015-02-01T17:21:00.000-07:002015-02-01T17:21:36.956-07:00Rabbit (or making meat while the sun shines)We've had a couple of storms and some wet weather come through since the holidays, welcome moisture that, with luck, will get a chance to soak in some rather than just sublimating away. With snow on the ground and a chilly, still, and sunny morning, the conditions said &nbsp;"rabbit hunting" on a recent weekend. Snow to see the rabbits against, cold, but sunny and without a breeze so they'll be out sunning. A couple of our trips to find quail had revealed quite a few cottontails, so A and I loaded up the dogs and shotguns (just in case we had to defend ourselves against a covey of quail) and a couple of .22 rifles and headed out early the other morning.<br /><br />Sure enough, we'd only spotted and missed one bunny when we had to defend ourselves against some quail, then hit a second covey on the way to another rabbit-y spot, taking up more valuable early morning rabbit hunting time. I hate when that happens.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oDW_CZ1oJk8/VM61yrIB63I/AAAAAAAACJs/KPOUntgrI2c/s1600/P1240387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oDW_CZ1oJk8/VM61yrIB63I/AAAAAAAACJs/KPOUntgrI2c/s1600/P1240387.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />Those are quail tracks in the foreground. No time for photos when they're running and flushing.<br /><br />&nbsp;Fortunately, the day stayed cold enough that a fair number of cottontails remained out soaking up the rays and we collected a half dozen in relatively short order.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cwvn7u7Df40/VM62dIJHA5I/AAAAAAAACJ0/I614AEBjztA/s1600/P1240389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cwvn7u7Df40/VM62dIJHA5I/AAAAAAAACJ0/I614AEBjztA/s1600/P1240389.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wY8hEUMyhKE/VM63G_2QPfI/AAAAAAAACKA/qbyeouVQ_3A/s1600/IMGP3389-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wY8hEUMyhKE/VM63G_2QPfI/AAAAAAAACKA/qbyeouVQ_3A/s1600/IMGP3389-002.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></div><br /><br />When A asked about getting more, I opted out as we had all the cottontails that I really wanted to deal with, enough for a generous couple of dinners. Given the conditions, we could have taken twice as many without a lot more time and effort. Plenty of game and the right weather made for a fun hunt.<br /><br />&nbsp;As for these rabbits, a couple of the saddles are slated for frying alongside the quail, but the others went into one of my favorite rabbit preparations, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Prudhomme" target="_blank">Paul Prudhomme's</a> "Smothered Rabbit" from his "Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook. &nbsp;This recipe is adapted a bit, using all three of the holy trinity in the roux and changing the spice mix some. You could use chicken or domestic rabbit, cutting the latter into smaller pieces, but this is awfully good with wild rabbit and, with such, makes for a dish that strikes me as very classically Louisiana in terms of flavors (and ingredients).<br /><br />You start off with very Prudhomme-esque spice blend, in our version consisting of:<br />&nbsp;2 1/4 t salt&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 1/2 t sweet paprika&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1/2 t white pepper<br />1/2 t black pepper&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 1/2 t dried shallots (ground to a powder)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 3/4 t garlic powder<br />1/2 t cayenne pepper&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1/2 t dried basil&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 t dried marjoram<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LuWbohU1buk/VM64vsNiSyI/AAAAAAAACKM/fmCN_QzT_SM/s1600/IMGP3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LuWbohU1buk/VM64vsNiSyI/AAAAAAAACKM/fmCN_QzT_SM/s1600/IMGP3418.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />You combine all of these in a small bowl, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons onto on 3-4 cottontails, cut up into legs and saddles.<br />Put another 2 teaspoons of the spice mix into a plastic bag or a large dish along with a cup of all purpose flour to flour the rabbit in. While the rabbit is sitting out and seasoning up, and before you dredge it, get together:<br />1 c finely chopped onion&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />1/2 c finely chopped celery&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />1/2 c finely chopped bell pepper<br /><br />and have ready 6 c of rabbit or chicken stock.<br /><br />Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet over fairly high heat. You don't want the oil to smoke or burn the flour that falls to the bottom, but you do want it pretty hot. Shake or dredge the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour and then brown in batches.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29qNAEZYD8U/VM65xgAN5jI/AAAAAAAACKU/4C_BShVgq2o/s1600/IMGP3391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29qNAEZYD8U/VM65xgAN5jI/AAAAAAAACKU/4C_BShVgq2o/s1600/IMGP3391.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />Once the rabbit is brown, pour off all but 1/2 c of the oil, leaving the sediment in the pan. Add the flour from the bag and whisk over medium heat (medium high if you're brave) until you get a red/brown roux. Turn off the heat and add the veg, stirring until the roux stops darkening. This last step is a bit unusual, in my experience, but it works pretty well.<br /><br />Once the roux is done, heat the stock to boiling in a heavy dutch oven (or, get it heating while you're browning the rabbit in the step above). Stir the roux into the boiling stock by the spoonful, stirring or whisking each spoonful until it is incorporated.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhNOEcTGQ6A/VM66SPHmkYI/AAAAAAAACKc/xql5cSMtMV8/s1600/IMGP3396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhNOEcTGQ6A/VM66SPHmkYI/AAAAAAAACKc/xql5cSMtMV8/s1600/IMGP3396.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hcj4XB524Mk/VM6-fKvgbCI/AAAAAAAACLE/PM9UFfUL8t4/s1600/IMGP3401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hcj4XB524Mk/VM6-fKvgbCI/AAAAAAAACLE/PM9UFfUL8t4/s1600/IMGP3401.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Once the roux is incorporated, lower the heat a bit, add the browned rabbit pieces, then reduce to a simmer. You can add any remaining seasoning mix at this time. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-84MXbYUPEr0/VM662LkhCyI/AAAAAAAACKk/LjA3P5_hggs/s1600/IMGP3414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-84MXbYUPEr0/VM662LkhCyI/AAAAAAAACKk/LjA3P5_hggs/s1600/IMGP3414.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />Simmer partially covered until the rabbit is tender. Depending upon whether you have any tough old critters in there, it'll be a couple of hours before it is ready. <br />Serve over rice. As the dish sits it gets better, so if you can make it a day ahead of time and gently re-heat, you'll be glad. A nice rosé works well with the spice and the delicate meat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0sQ0gzO66M/VM68GpsAXGI/AAAAAAAACKw/EdhEsGA8g3w/s1600/IMGP3427-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0sQ0gzO66M/VM68GpsAXGI/AAAAAAAACKw/EdhEsGA8g3w/s1600/IMGP3427-001.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br />If you have more than three rabbits, you might consider doubling the spice mix. You won't use it all, quite, but the extra will help you get to the right spice level and ensure that the rabbit pieces get well seasoned in that first step.&nbsp; Enjoy!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_O5q4LlvIc/VM69vN7uVeI/AAAAAAAACK8/IXVagJUG9pc/s1600/IMGP3422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_O5q4LlvIc/VM69vN7uVeI/AAAAAAAACK8/IXVagJUG9pc/s1600/IMGP3422.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-24859091090941916422014-12-31T18:01:00.001-07:002014-12-31T18:01:45.031-07:002015Damn, time just keeps on flying by.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pf1B_HDdGA/VKScTjnnjEI/AAAAAAAACJY/QYtTu3SQ7iM/s1600/IMGP0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5pf1B_HDdGA/VKScTjnnjEI/AAAAAAAACJY/QYtTu3SQ7iM/s1600/IMGP0145.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Happy New Year- hope you all have a happy and prosperous 2015 with timely rains, lucky draws, the right set up and plenty of time out in it!mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-51833308181694735452014-12-28T16:43:00.002-07:002014-12-28T16:43:44.288-07:00Happy Holidays, and quail<br />Happy Holidays!<br /><br />Hope you all are keeping well and spending some time with friends and family. A and I dashed down to south Texas to be with my folks and family, dashing back up to NM for work this upcoming week. With the New Year holiday, it'll be a short one and, weather permitting, we hope to get out for quail. There are a few blues around. Earlier this year...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0pOWxgLmhAg/VKCRM6OyVzI/AAAAAAAACIg/xI3FYz9Bfus/s1600/IMGP3141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0pOWxgLmhAg/VKCRM6OyVzI/AAAAAAAACIg/xI3FYz9Bfus/s1600/IMGP3141.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />Click on that picture above and check out the left hand side of the road.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSWY_yH0M60/VKCRvy0jZWI/AAAAAAAACIo/T8VfhGx8PEE/s1600/IMGP3152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eSWY_yH0M60/VKCRvy0jZWI/AAAAAAAACIo/T8VfhGx8PEE/s1600/IMGP3152.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Rolling up- see em in the bar ditch? More visible when enlarged.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZgLROwtyUo/VKCSLl7SkDI/AAAAAAAACIw/pmFr_2-3lCs/s1600/IMGP3147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZgLROwtyUo/VKCSLl7SkDI/AAAAAAAACIw/pmFr_2-3lCs/s1600/IMGP3147.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />Here is a laggard. These birds were pretty tame, safe on private land. Coveys that get hunted tend to flush away from the truck and hit the ground running.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SREKfTwew-Q/VKCS5lNYu4I/AAAAAAAACI4/xAuxCIadSXg/s1600/IMGP0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SREKfTwew-Q/VKCS5lNYu4I/AAAAAAAACI4/xAuxCIadSXg/s1600/IMGP0010.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />With a bit of the grass on the range, Booker earns his keep finding the fallen birds. Though he loves any sort of bird hunting quail aren't his favorite. Fortunately, we came by a tank that held ducks and he got to do some proper Chessie work.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9FP6EHAbcA/VKCTDdtSfII/AAAAAAAACJA/f9dHfC4jXxk/s1600/IMGP0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y9FP6EHAbcA/VKCTDdtSfII/AAAAAAAACJA/f9dHfC4jXxk/s1600/IMGP0012.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-RoeBJ9TZI/VKCTNI2M83I/AAAAAAAACJI/fJh7eoJJKV4/s1600/Redhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n-RoeBJ9TZI/VKCTNI2M83I/AAAAAAAACJI/fJh7eoJJKV4/s1600/Redhead.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div><br /><br />A dropped a drake Redhead. Not a great snapshot, but I ran out of space on the memory card and managed to not record half a dozen that, no doubt, would be better.<br /><br />Maybe we'll get some snow- the blue quail will hold a little better than and the dog likes the cold. <br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-72669055879083302672014-11-22T18:33:00.000-07:002014-11-22T18:33:22.932-07:00Third partWhile A had a very good draw for big game this year, I can't exactly complain. We put in for oryx, pronghorn, elk and deer and, while she drew another pronghorn I drew a bull elk tag, the first one I've put in for in six or seven years and the first one I've drawn in nearly a decade. One of the nearby mountain ranges has a good elk hunting and the muzzleloader season falls just about the time the rut is in full swing down in the southern Southwest. Drawing is long odds, but, if you do draw out the bulls are likely to be distracted. So, very shortly after A's antelope hunt, the weekend after, in fact, it was time for my elk hunt.<br /><br />Work took its usual toll on our schedule and so we found ourselves driving up into the mountains late on a Friday afternoon as rain showers marched here and there over the country. Starting up in elevation, we even saw a little snow on the side of the road.<br /><br />Old, tired, out-of-shape, wimpy, or perhaps wise, rather than set up the tent in the dark and the rain with the prospect of snow overnight, I opted to spend the night in a very nice hotel in a tourist town on one edge of the hunting unit. Warm bed and a hot shower made a 4:30 get up easier, while a tall coffee and an <a href="http://www.allsups.com/about" target="_blank">Allsups</a> burrito (semi-native hint: get a crispy one that has been in the hot box for a while) got us headed to our choice of starting places.&nbsp; <br /><br />I suppose that such a start might be a modern classic, the very low rent version of McGuane's "New Rugged". No long pack string heading up days before the season, setting up a wall tent and scouting, not even <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2007/10/season.html" target="_blank">winding up into the country</a> in a pair or convoy of pickups, setting up a group camp and checking out familiar country. Instead, A and I drove blacktop, gravel and then dirt in turn, getting to the mouth of the draw we were looking for just about a half hour before daylight. Overnight, the weather had cleared and the wind had died, leaving the woods cool and fresh, just a bit more chilly then shirtsleeve weather.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ggM8MKC48ck/VGAVNufLj6I/AAAAAAAACHI/a3Tt9OBL9tc/s1600/IMGP2863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ggM8MKC48ck/VGAVNufLj6I/AAAAAAAACHI/a3Tt9OBL9tc/s1600/IMGP2863.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br />As I was loading the rifle, we heard the first bull bugling.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYwKh30let4/VGAUPN8y8rI/AAAAAAAACHA/DGhqdL-hVzs/s1600/IMGP2854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYwKh30let4/VGAUPN8y8rI/AAAAAAAACHA/DGhqdL-hVzs/s1600/IMGP2854.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br />I'm pretty much a novice at hunting with a muzzleloader, having only had one previous hunt and having fired fewer than a hundred rounds through my rifle. In keeping with the spirit of a primitive weapons hunt, I use a traditional style mountain rifle with fixed iron sights. Not completely traditional, that rifle has a fast-twist barrel to shoot longer projectiles rather than a round ball. With 90 grains of Pyrodex&nbsp; black powder substitute, the rifle will put three 350 grain bullets in a three inch circle at a hundred yards. In the last decade I have yet to see or speak to another hunter who uses a traditional style muzzleloader, most of them using primer fired in-line guns with scopes.&nbsp; In any event, full of the optimism opening day usually brings, I set off up a ridge on one side of the draw while A hung out down below.<br /><br />An hour later, I could hear a couple of bulls regularly bugling at each other, the problem being that they were on the ridge opposite my location and the wind was not in my favor to even head that direction. I eased down slope until I came to a small tank at a fork in the draw and decided to wait a while in hopes that the thermals of the warming day would swing the wind around and let me make a try at one of the bulls. As I sat back from the tank and listened to the elk while watching some cattle drink, I heard what is perhaps the worst sound known to a modern foot hunter, that being the buzzing, putting grumble of a number of 4-wheelers. They were quite some way off, over another low ridge from the elk, but easily where they could hear the bulls. For fifteen minutes I sweated as the machines grumbled away out of sight, greatly relieved and more than a little surprised as the sound faded out of range. Apparently, the riders never stopped and turned off their engines, so as to hear the elk up above them. Some half hour after that, the wind switched around. Impatient, I made myself wait fifteen minutes by the clock to before heading up towards the elk, just in case the breeze tried to switch around some more.<br /><br />The wind held true and before long I was up on top, working through thick mixed timber toward the bulls and straining my eyes with every step to try to spot satellite bulls or cows before they noticed me. Coming to a little saddle, I was about to head toward the bull on my right, who was moving a good bit but sounded a little more guttural than all but one of the other three bulls I could hear. Before doing so, I poked over to the left to look into the shallow swale coming off the saddle. As soon as I did so, I saw a piece of elk, which a little glassing revealed to be a feeding cow. Soon I saw another and they move in and out of sight as they ate. Having a favorable wind, I very slowly crawled up a little on them to where I could see down into the draw as well as a decent part of the saddle. From that position, it was mostly a matter of waiting and hoping that the heard bull, who was moving about and bugling up on the other side of the shallow draw, maybe a hundred yards away, would come into range and view. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2YhoczWA1GU/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/2YhoczWA1GU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/2YhoczWA1GU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><br />After about forty minutes, the bull down the draw came up into sight, moving through the timber down toward the cows. Before I could find a lane and get a shot, he moved back out. Just about that time, an some elk further up the ridge must have crossed my wind, as then came trotting and running down the far side of the draw and pulling the cows I had been watching with them. Figuring I was blown, I eased a little further in that direction, only twenty yards or so, to have a bit better view of that side of the swale in case there was a trailing bull. Despite the commotion, the herd bull bugled again and, as soon as he did so, the bull from down below came charging in- literally at a trot and bugling as he came. I suppose he thought the herd bull was moving his cows off and he had to make a challenge right now. In any event, his path was directly toward my new location. At about twenty-five feet from me, he paused at a large downed log preparatory to jumping over it, and I rolled over a little and shot him, knocking him down immediately. He got back up and so a reloaded as quickly as I could. Mortally wounded, the bull stopped after stumbling fifty yards and I knocked him down again. He continued down the draw another hundred yards before falling for the last time, taking another bullet through the lungs in the process.<br /><br />I have a new appreciation for the amazement expressed by hunters from the turn of the previous century regarding the shock affect of modern smokeless cartridges and the high-velocity projectiles they propel. Despite three good fatal hits, the bull was able to get up and travel a fair distance before succumbing. I don't think he'd have gotten up a second time had I been using my '06.&nbsp; <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzbmvRvuZ1k/VHEv69m0HjI/AAAAAAAACHw/gGBzwcVK8q8/s1600/PA110256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FzbmvRvuZ1k/VHEv69m0HjI/AAAAAAAACHw/gGBzwcVK8q8/s1600/PA110256.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />Once he was down I dropped down the ridge and into the draw, then down to where A was waiting near the truck. Having dropped off my rifle, driven a little nearer, and gathered my help, A and I got up to the bull and got to the business of dressing and quartering him out. That process, along with three round trips to the truck, took us over six hours. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrY9G37APkI/VHExWLiUkxI/AAAAAAAACH4/r2S37aBhLE8/s1600/PA110265-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrY9G37APkI/VHExWLiUkxI/AAAAAAAACH4/r2S37aBhLE8/s1600/PA110265-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br />Packing out.<br /><br />Once the load gets around a hundred pounds, there's no real way to get it comfortable that I've found.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FmB1UttRxMs/VHEyQ0g8u_I/AAAAAAAACIA/BIYowOcH5-Y/s1600/PA110268-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FmB1UttRxMs/VHEyQ0g8u_I/AAAAAAAACIA/BIYowOcH5-Y/s1600/PA110268-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Once back at the house, we rested an evening and then began cutting and packaging meat, which took longer than the hunt and the pack out lasted. Good work, though, and a year's worth of red meat. I was a bit concerned that a rutting bull would be strong, but it is as good as any elk that I've eaten.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYlbdx72-Jc/VHEzzTd5KMI/AAAAAAAACII/WkVxAVLcPQc/s1600/IMGP2870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yYlbdx72-Jc/VHEzzTd5KMI/AAAAAAAACII/WkVxAVLcPQc/s1600/IMGP2870.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />I have best luck keeping meat in the freezer wrapped first in Saran, then butcher paper. Long way around an elk!<br /><br />The sign below can often be paraphrased "good hunting".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nOqEPDIdB6w/VHE00Ig0rCI/AAAAAAAACIQ/LOS9szqmC5s/s1600/PA110279-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nOqEPDIdB6w/VHE00Ig0rCI/AAAAAAAACIQ/LOS9szqmC5s/s1600/PA110279-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-37743245736529717622014-11-11T18:38:00.001-07:002014-11-11T18:38:35.878-07:00Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9Mrbn_rwKA/VGK4TGWx_oI/AAAAAAAACHY/Ap7rBMsp24o/s1600/IMGP3108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r9Mrbn_rwKA/VGK4TGWx_oI/AAAAAAAACHY/Ap7rBMsp24o/s320/IMGP3108.JPG" width="211" /></a></div><br />&nbsp; <br />The weatherman tells us that tonight we're going to have the first of a series of fairly hard freezes- mid-20s, so that's it for the last of the figs, basil, tomatoes and peppers. The weather today would be familiar to anyone who has spent much time in northern or higher elevation NM (even though we aren't northern or highland)- not much breeze, brilliant blue sky, but chilly, particularly in the shade.<br /><br />We're going to build our first fire of the fall and, in further recognition of winter, have our first pot of green chile stew. A and I have slightly different takes on this dish, she favoring a modernistic, wide ranging interpretation wherein whole kernal corn, pinto beans and other ingredients are incorporated. Rather than nuts, twigs, berries and flowers in my green chile stew, I adhere to a more basic version comprised of only a few ingredients. Monday, we had our last pizza margherita of '14, tonight we'll enjoy a late fall or winter dish. Should you decide to make a basic, NM style green chile stew, I'd suggest:<br /><br />1 pound or so of pork, beef, orxy, antelope, deer or elk, in ascending order of preference, tough cuts, cut into decent sized chunks- about 1/2 inch by 2, no larger than 2 inches by 2.<br /><br />2 medium onions, in a fairly large dice<br /><br />1 cup (or more to taste) of New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped.*<br /><br />1 can of tomatoes, either whole or diced<br /><br />about 1 1/2 pounds of peeled potatoes, cut roughly the same size as the meat<br /><br />flour for dredging, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf<br /><br />In a dutch oven or 6 quart pot, heat a little oil over medium high heat. Brown the meat pieces that have been dredged in seasoned flour, with all excess flour shaken off, on each side and in batches. Set the browned meat aside on a plate, then add the onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Stir the onions around once they've sweated some to get the browned bits from the meat up from the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, chile, bay leaf and meat back in, along with any accumulated juices from the meat, and pour in enough water to cover all the ingredients. Once it has come to a simmer, reduce the heat to keep it there and let it simmer slowly for a couple of hours. Check the seasoning and add salt to taste. Once everything is tender, serve with flour tortillas or other bread.&nbsp; Whoever gets the bay leaf has to do dishes. Good for dinner, breakfast, in camp or at home.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33lU8nDS8zE/VGK5RKOtJiI/AAAAAAAACHg/OY3SbXmTVuM/s1600/IMGP3097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-33lU8nDS8zE/VGK5RKOtJiI/AAAAAAAACHg/OY3SbXmTVuM/s320/IMGP3097.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />You can make the stew without flour if you choose, the potatoes will thicken it up some. A claims that browning the meat without flour give a more meaty, complex flavor to the dish, and I'd believe her except that she'll throw garbanzo beans or black olives or whatever in the pot and still call it green chile stew. A and I switch off on pots of green chile stew, from her more catholic approach to ingredients to my more basic style. The proportions above are general, I'd just suggest plenty of chile, as it is supposed to be green chile stew, not just stew with chile in it. <br /><br /><br />* If you don't know about New Mexico style green chile, you'll have to read around a bit, as that is a subject unto itself. In the fall, many residents of the Southwest buy the green chile pods, have them roasted, then freeze them for use all winter. If you don't have access to a green chile roaster in season, you can roast "anaheim" or New Mexico green chiles over a gas flame, barbecue, or in a hot oven, slap them in a plastic bag to sweat for fifteen minutes, then peel, seed and chop. Alternatively, the internet is <a href="https://www.weshipchile.com/" target="_blank">your friend</a>. New Mexican green chiles, often called Anaheim chile in stores, is important to the dish. Poblanos or other chiles will have a very different flavor. It might be good, but it won't be right.mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-37352960452798842272014-11-10T07:30:00.000-07:002014-11-10T07:30:00.560-07:00Second InstallmentAgainst most odds, A drew an pronghorn permit through the public draw for the second year in a row. In New Mexico, most of the pronghorn are found on lands that are either private or that are private, state, and BLM in checkerboard. Decades ago, the State pioneered trapping and translocating pronghorn to take advantage of available habitat. Eventually, to encourage landowners in pronghorn-friendly practices, the Game and Fish Department developed a system whereby landowners who permitted hunters from the public draw on their property to hunt pronghorn are given a number of transferable license authorizations that they can give away, sell, or keep in their discretion.<br /><br />Over time, as the very good hunting for pronghorn in New Mexico became better known and the market drove prices for the private land authorizations up, the allocation of tags has shifted to ever-more landowner tags and fewer available for public draw. As a result, drawing an antelope hunt through the public lottery is a rare event and two in a row is extraordinarily fortunate.<br /><br /><a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2013/10/big-game.html" target="_blank">Last year</a>, we hunted barely broken country with quite a bit of creosote bush and other low cover.&nbsp; This year, A's assigned area was almost all grassland, broken up into low ridges and hills.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-slplekDkB1E/VF-iPuCJNtI/AAAAAAAACGQ/DKrl2MT8Ano/s1600/PA040227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-slplekDkB1E/VF-iPuCJNtI/AAAAAAAACGQ/DKrl2MT8Ano/s1600/PA040227.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Some of it was pretty flat. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ru-u-O6Hqg/VF-i8Crax7I/AAAAAAAACGY/JtQS1Hf4Rdc/s1600/PA040230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0ru-u-O6Hqg/VF-i8Crax7I/AAAAAAAACGY/JtQS1Hf4Rdc/s1600/PA040230.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Also in contrast to last year, there were relatively few antelope on the property. We saw a couple of medium sized bucks and one barely legal animal while scouting, but once the hunt started we only found the barely legal buck until another medium sized fellow popped up with a doe. We first saw them when driving from one area to another and they spooked at over a mile distant, so we kept on driving until over a hill, then stopped and got out to circle through a low draw to see where the pair had gotten to. Where they had gotten to was out of the immediate vicinity. Lots of migrating raptors, though.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQbiN5Gevfo/VF-jhlhLD5I/AAAAAAAACGg/g0pGXKslHYo/s1600/fellow%2Bhunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MQbiN5Gevfo/VF-jhlhLD5I/AAAAAAAACGg/g0pGXKslHYo/s1600/fellow%2Bhunter.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div><br />After that, we got up on a ridge, walked to different vantages, and glassed for a while with no pronghorn coming to view, then decided to drive to the other end of the area. While on the way, the buck and his doe stood up, then ran a big circle around us. A got out and got a little way before they popped up over a ridge and the buck had to good grace to stop, whereupon she finished her hunt with a single well-placed shot. <br /><br />After that, it was a quick drag, field dressing, skinning, quartering and a night to rest before getting on with the processing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KBsnBx_OE6I/VF-kCgNRILI/AAAAAAAACGo/uVstbW7ZNLA/s1600/PA050244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KBsnBx_OE6I/VF-kCgNRILI/AAAAAAAACGo/uVstbW7ZNLA/s1600/PA050244.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All told, a very nice hunt- not as many chances for stalking up on animals as last year, but some good time out in the country, a clean kill of a nice buck, and some prime protein in the freezer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCDoaOnQ5Pw/VF-knBAF4CI/AAAAAAAACGw/L8IrytcvG-c/s1600/PA050247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CCDoaOnQ5Pw/VF-knBAF4CI/AAAAAAAACGw/L8IrytcvG-c/s1600/PA050247.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />If she draws pronghorn again next year, I'm going to insist she starts buying lottery tickets!<br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-6508254799483924072014-11-08T11:03:00.001-07:002014-11-08T11:03:27.212-07:00First installmentTimeliness is inherent in the idea of blogging- it is, after all, a web log in concept and writing about things past, unless inspiring a current thought, is contrary to the idea of a "log". That's not working so well for me right now- here we are in duck season,&nbsp; past our big game hunts and nearly to quail season, and I'm going to talk about September, when so many good things start. Regardless, and getting back to the last post, a while back A, Dad and I headed up to Alaska for another week of silver salmon fishing, as suggested in the post below.<br /><br />If you hit the "fishing" label on this blog you'll see accounts of other trips or thoughts inspired by those trips, and I'm not sure I have too much new to say. The area is lovely, the air clean and crisp off the spruce forests, glaciers, and sea. The people are generally friendly, the town small and visiting fisherman apparently a welcome supplement to the income from commercial harvest. Traveling a couple thousand miles to catch fish is considered perfectly reasonable if one is so unfortunate as to not live a stone's throw from the ocean. This year we ran into a couple of groups from Sweden, who presumably live within a relative stone's throw of an ocean, just not one with silver salmon.<br /><br />We arrived on the tail end of a big rain event. In a place where precipitation is measured in scores of inches (or multiples of feet), that means quite a bit of water. A few years ago, we saw seven or eight inches in twenty-four hours, but this was bigger. Fortunately, as we got there the streams were coming down and full of fish. The first couple of days saw rain, and sideways rain, but our last three days were nearly completely sunny, unprecedented in our ten or so years up there for the season. Further, the streams had dropped considerably and still had plenty of fish in them, so we did well.<br /><br />One interesting thing about fishing for silvers is that there is a cycle in terms of the size of fish, apparently much like grouse or hares cycle in population. Last year, the fish ran the smallest we had seen them and it got me worried about things like the commercial herring harvest, and long term effects of oil spills and purse seines and all sorts of other things. All that bears watching, but this year the fish ran large, nearly the largest we've seen in twelve years.<br /><br />A caught a limit, 3 fish, that totaled 38 pounds in the round- two thirteens and a twelve. In terms of sport, this translates into fish that can pull you around the river and that require some care in playing and handling.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ki10vegSts/VExTKhZ8Q1I/AAAAAAAACFE/ls46W_vKOyc/s1600/P9200094-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ki10vegSts/VExTKhZ8Q1I/AAAAAAAACFE/ls46W_vKOyc/s1600/P9200094-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That's my Dad with a fifteen pound silver, which is a conservative weight, as it bottomed out a fifteen pound certified Boga-grip, so there may be some change involved. Second biggest fish any of our parties have ever caught up there and Dad's only fish on that tough day. Still, a bright fifteen pound cock with sea lice on him goes a long way toward beating a skunk. Here's a closer look:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n2_Unn-BMk8/VExUFRsRnUI/AAAAAAAACFM/jp4Nbjgye7Y/s1600/P9200097-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n2_Unn-BMk8/VExUFRsRnUI/AAAAAAAACFM/jp4Nbjgye7Y/s1600/P9200097-001.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Damn big fish.<br /><br />Wait- what's that? A moose by the side of the road? Must be up North!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7crjmTEti8/VExUnNeldnI/AAAAAAAACFU/hLj3MBwELjg/s1600/P9210100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7crjmTEti8/VExUnNeldnI/AAAAAAAACFU/hLj3MBwELjg/s1600/P9210100.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvySqAeMOJY/VE48fRLAURI/AAAAAAAACFk/vy5-fM21ewU/s1600/IMGP0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvySqAeMOJY/VE48fRLAURI/AAAAAAAACFk/vy5-fM21ewU/s1600/IMGP0081.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had a couple of good hikes, one of which came after I mis-remembered the trailhead necessary to take us into a particular stretch of stream.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oGdmJtUR0-Y/VE49WIsRQ0I/AAAAAAAACFs/WzpQROoL3Ts/s1600/IMGP0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oGdmJtUR0-Y/VE49WIsRQ0I/AAAAAAAACFs/WzpQROoL3Ts/s1600/IMGP0042.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br />We managed to get on the right trail and to get into some fish.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AvE1cMvGFMc/VE4-LMbXGWI/AAAAAAAACF0/MuJZhBVf5GY/s1600/IMGP0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AvE1cMvGFMc/VE4-LMbXGWI/AAAAAAAACF0/MuJZhBVf5GY/s1600/IMGP0038.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mostly, though, this trip was sunny skies and fresh silvers just up from the salt water.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Weasel!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZZTxNBRoBE/VE4_WWcqo6I/AAAAAAAACF8/U0iPOpCyBIM/s1600/CIMG1523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZZTxNBRoBE/VE4_WWcqo6I/AAAAAAAACF8/U0iPOpCyBIM/s1600/CIMG1523.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />This curious little fellow came out of the alders to check us out at close range. With any luck at all, we'll head back up there next year. I still haven't caught enough silver salmon on the fly rod. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eoLVhuk9XCI/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/eoLVhuk9XCI?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/eoLVhuk9XCI?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-83423380051380231372014-10-17T19:34:00.001-06:002014-10-17T19:34:33.305-06:003 thousand words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1IakZZzj7w/VEHA4DP9EnI/AAAAAAAACEU/Pgp0mfvhQms/s1600/P9230199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p1IakZZzj7w/VEHA4DP9EnI/AAAAAAAACEU/Pgp0mfvhQms/s1600/P9230199.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsFp5LBa2mg/VEHCmAW3lvI/AAAAAAAACEg/yQQjIkFApfg/s1600/PA040240-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GsFp5LBa2mg/VEHCmAW3lvI/AAAAAAAACEg/yQQjIkFApfg/s1600/PA040240-001.JPG" height="210" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_LAjqWh3ao/VEHDV92bhYI/AAAAAAAACEo/1trik8vILXw/s1600/PA110276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_LAjqWh3ao/VEHDV92bhYI/AAAAAAAACEo/1trik8vILXw/s1600/PA110276.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Actually, just a teaser. A and I managed to front-load our fall just a bit. More later.<br /><br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-86754502043494796202014-09-16T06:42:00.000-06:002014-09-16T06:42:00.727-06:00Leucistic dusky grouseThe blue grouse I grew up with has fallen prey to the <a href="http://friendsofdarwin.com/2008/01/20080121/" target="_blank">splitters</a>&nbsp;(yes, yes, I've heard- DNA, distinct geographical populations, etc. etc.), and now is the <a href="http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01312/wdfw01312.pdf" target="_blank">dusky grouse</a>.<br /><br />Recently, A and I were up in the north central mountains of NM looking for edible mushrooms when we came across a <a href="http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/gardens-wildlife/garden-birds/behaviour/plumage/leucism" target="_blank">leucistic</a> grouse, of the now dusky variety, part of a family group or covey.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Frc5zXUPdlI/VBRw8NZZooI/AAAAAAAACDM/lw1pVi5H5D8/s1600/IMGP2496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Frc5zXUPdlI/VBRw8NZZooI/AAAAAAAACDM/lw1pVi5H5D8/s1600/IMGP2496.JPG" height="320" width="230" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PcpQAsYVbuU/VBRxe2_0igI/AAAAAAAACDU/dqA49YeQyKo/s1600/IMGP2493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PcpQAsYVbuU/VBRxe2_0igI/AAAAAAAACDU/dqA49YeQyKo/s1600/IMGP2493.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Ghost bird: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52LNd7pVIGA/VBRyaFlpPGI/AAAAAAAACDg/k9IX2JSv6Io/s1600/IMGP2517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52LNd7pVIGA/VBRyaFlpPGI/AAAAAAAACDg/k9IX2JSv6Io/s1600/IMGP2517.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XW1I215m85o/VBRym4mb9yI/AAAAAAAACDo/0EdJhsc0VXg/s1600/IMGP2519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XW1I215m85o/VBRym4mb9yI/AAAAAAAACDo/0EdJhsc0VXg/s1600/IMGP2519.JPG" height="320" width="229" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A normally colored member of the covey:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei7aa_AKxow/VBRzKxcN0tI/AAAAAAAACDw/FBgyU4BpHb4/s1600/IMGP2503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ei7aa_AKxow/VBRzKxcN0tI/AAAAAAAACDw/FBgyU4BpHb4/s1600/IMGP2503.JPG" height="229" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUmCWoh-Xh8/VBRzvgkVM_I/AAAAAAAACD8/5yDz2vuicrc/s1600/IMGP2500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WUmCWoh-Xh8/VBRzvgkVM_I/AAAAAAAACD8/5yDz2vuicrc/s1600/IMGP2500.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />What a cool variation. I hope the white bird makes it through the season and is able to pass those genes along.mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-9681207447536901832014-09-13T10:26:00.000-06:002014-09-13T10:26:21.615-06:00BountySlow on blogging, but A and I have been getting out into the country a bit lately and I should try to catch up.<br /><br />Firstly, a little while ago some friends tipped us off that the bolete mushrooms were flushing in Northern NM, so we headed up to our old stomping grounds for a quick overnighter in the back of the truck, hoping to replenish our supply. Success!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gU-aPlTNl5U/VApldfoWiuI/AAAAAAAACBc/9pQQu9EJ52g/s1600/IMGP2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gU-aPlTNl5U/VApldfoWiuI/AAAAAAAACBc/9pQQu9EJ52g/s1600/IMGP2479.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />We found enough <a href="http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/aug2004.html" target="_blank">boletus barrowsii</a> to fill our winter supply jar.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtY66ShsJIw/VApmIVWXUJI/AAAAAAAACBk/D7zUyc31pEU/s1600/IMGP2675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DtY66ShsJIw/VApmIVWXUJI/AAAAAAAACBk/D7zUyc31pEU/s1600/IMGP2675.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br />Soups, stews, and sauces will all benefit for the next year or so. We managed to dry a few more than fit in the jar, but didn't quite load up.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBrHjYhdl88/VApoJZYHcUI/AAAAAAAACBw/0adPN0T4YuU/s1600/IMGP2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBrHjYhdl88/VApoJZYHcUI/AAAAAAAACBw/0adPN0T4YuU/s1600/IMGP2527.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>&nbsp;Shortly thereafter, we made a day trip to our nearby mountains for <a href="http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/mfruit/elderberries.html" target="_blank">elderberries, </a>hitting it just a bit early. Nonetheless, we secured a good supply of this necessary component for a<a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2012/10/tastes-like.html" target="_blank"> favorite jelly</a>. We also found a couple of the largest examples of the cauliflower mushroom that we've yet come across. Sparassis radicata or Sparassis crispa, most sources relate that radicata is the western variant. Regardless, these were prime and delicious. <br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2BM0mMJ86k/VAprp9rgH-I/AAAAAAAACB8/EixNkL43dC0/s1600/IMGP2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r2BM0mMJ86k/VAprp9rgH-I/AAAAAAAACB8/EixNkL43dC0/s1600/IMGP2565.JPG" height="228" width="320" /></a></div><br />Our friend Jeff introduced us to a really nice technique for cauliflower mushroom, that being to saute it fairly slowly in butter until tender and then keep going until it browns a little and crisps up- an excellent side dish to almost anything, but particularly game meat. <br /><br />Next, we went to our first organized mycological foray, this one by the <a href="http://newmexicomyco.net/nmms/clubpage.htm" target="_blank">NM Mycological Society</a>- an interesting group of folks with a lot of expertise to share. This year's foray was based in Las Vegas, NM, and we stayed in the great old <a href="http://www.plazahotel-nm.com/" target="_blank">Plaza Hotel</a>. A bit ragged around the edges after over a hundred years of operation, our room was quiet and very reasonably priced. Just around the town square we found a brew pub and a restaurant next door that served the hottest green chile I've had in a long time, some of the most typical northern New Mexican food we've found in years. Combined with lovely weather (cool and rainy) and some relatively new country to explore, it was a great weekend.<br /><br />Last, for the Labor Day holiday weekend we headed back up north, to look for mushrooms again and perhaps take advantage of opening day of bird season. The first day was absolutely chilly at 9,000 feet of elevation, a welcome change after a long summer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xV_sjuqqXIo/VBRps0NxB1I/AAAAAAAACCY/USQS75IbZ8g/s1600/IMGP0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xV_sjuqqXIo/VBRps0NxB1I/AAAAAAAACCY/USQS75IbZ8g/s1600/IMGP0013.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Since hunting didn't start until September 1st, we spent the first couple of days picking currants and mushrooms, checking out country and scouting around. <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/band-tailed_pigeon/id" target="_blank">Band Tailed Pigeons</a> were loafing in some spruce and fir along one ridge each of those days, but strong winds apparently pushed them elsewhere once the season opened. Big birds, they'd come bombing out of the tops of the spruce on the steep hillside and, if we had gotten into them, the shooting would have been really tough. We also looked around for grouse, seeing them before the season but having no luck on opening day. Perhaps later in the year. <br /><br />Mushrooming was more successful. The king boletes were pretty scarce, but we found nice stands of <a href="http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/chanterelle.html" target="_blank">chanterelles</a>, our first encounter with that prized edible in NM.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAgDkSkS18o/VBRoc0rj3sI/AAAAAAAACCM/-zzZAM-L60o/s1600/IMGP0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sAgDkSkS18o/VBRoc0rj3sI/AAAAAAAACCM/-zzZAM-L60o/s1600/IMGP0011.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Back home, we tried a cream of mushroom soup as suggested by <a href="http://honest-food.net/2009/08/31/chanterelles-and-the-sexiest-soup-ever/" target="_blank">Hank Shaw</a>. It was good, but we're still a bit ambiguous about the shrooms, not having found the best flavors to go with them and spoiled to the aforementioned king boletes and cauliflowers. Further experimentation is assured by several packages of chanterelles sauteed in butter and squirreled away in the freezer. <br /><br />Also for later in the fall is the wild red currant jelly we put up from the prolific ribes encountered in the high country (A has keyed them out as<a href="http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RIMO2" target="_blank"> ribes montigenum</a>).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qVAXeANROIU/VBRttVVEknI/AAAAAAAACCs/iCyz7AUO71A/s1600/IMGP2629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qVAXeANROIU/VBRttVVEknI/AAAAAAAACCs/iCyz7AUO71A/s1600/IMGP2629.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A couple of hours of picking (and pricking) resulted in a nice batch of currants.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPlEtHs8GOs/VBRuUMyHbZI/AAAAAAAACC4/wFS9JlhNZnk/s1600/IMGP2670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pPlEtHs8GOs/VBRuUMyHbZI/AAAAAAAACC4/wFS9JlhNZnk/s1600/IMGP2670.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Which in turn became a slightly tart jelly.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwDnAT_AwWU/VBRvB7iwYPI/AAAAAAAACDA/9NtSwba3-vQ/s1600/IMGP2740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WwDnAT_AwWU/VBRvB7iwYPI/AAAAAAAACDA/9NtSwba3-vQ/s1600/IMGP2740.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />If our big game hunts go well, I foresee a <a href="http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2009/09/cumberland-sauce.html" target="_blank">Cumberland sauce</a> in the future. Otherwise, it will just have to be buttermilk biscuits with red currant jelly.<br /><br />Here's hoping the season is proceeding as well for all of you all! mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-8477530949054968162014-07-18T18:33:00.000-06:002014-07-18T18:39:45.613-06:00beetles with tasteWhen A and I first arrived down in southern NM and got a house, we planted fruit trees right away. Even if you're not sure you'll be in a place long, if you get fruit trees in the ground you might get a crop before you know it and, in the Land of Entrapment, it's never wise to predict moving on. Consequently, we put in two cherries, an apricot, and a peach. One of the cherries and the apricot promptly died and the other cherry tree gave up last spring, but the dwarf peach has carried on and this year we've actually been getting a decent batch of peaches off of it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WHdPBKCthk0/U8m4Bdnim3I/AAAAAAAACAw/v_-Vk6S7ICw/s1600/IMGP2191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WHdPBKCthk0/U8m4Bdnim3I/AAAAAAAACAw/v_-Vk6S7ICw/s1600/IMGP2191.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Alas, despite netting to avoid the depredations of birds and red squirrels, we're still sharing way too much in the way of peach flesh. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmjsvshezNw/U8m4nkSzIpI/AAAAAAAACA4/22gD9Wfr7yo/s1600/IMGP2195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OmjsvshezNw/U8m4nkSzIpI/AAAAAAAACA4/22gD9Wfr7yo/s1600/IMGP2195.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The culprits?<br /><br />Based upon one miscreant caught in the act from this picking, at least some of them are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_beetle" target="_blank">click beetles</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YLKcREhHBfg/U8m6bW8SD6I/AAAAAAAACBE/PDUasT2hYZ4/s1600/IMGP2154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YLKcREhHBfg/U8m6bW8SD6I/AAAAAAAACBE/PDUasT2hYZ4/s1600/IMGP2154.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Regardless of the losses, we're pretty happy that our tree is producing in its fourth year. Not enough fruit to can or even freeze, but enough for sliced peaches in the morning or over homemade vanilla ice cream. Peaches, like tomatoes, are one of those fruits that are best ripened all the way on the vine and then eaten fresh. I don't think I've ever purchased a decent peach in a grocery store. Next year, if it looks like we'll get peaches again we'll look at some control so we don't have to share quite as much with them. <br /><br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-58790495381233172232014-07-06T11:57:00.002-06:002014-07-06T11:57:16.525-06:00summer and bbqToday dawned cool-ish, cloudy, and very humid with some puddles from an overnight shower. I'll take it as a good portent for the rest of the summer, as it always seems to me that the <a href="http://natureblog.blogspot.com/search?q=monsoon" target="_blank">monsoon season</a> should start around Independence Day if we are going to have a good one.<br /><br />Chad Love <a href="http://mallardofdiscontent.blogspot.com/2014/05/wither-crops-hopes-humanity-and-quail.html" target="_blank">recently poste</a>d about the drought continuing in his end of the near-Southwest. In contrast, southeast NM has the prospect of at least approaching <a href="http://natureblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/western-drought-conditions-as-of-july-1.html" target="_blank">"abnormally dry"</a>. After no precip for the first four and a half months of the year, we got a big storm in late May followed by some decent rain in June. If the afternoon thundershowers come through for the rest of July and into August, we might actually see some birds this year and the deer, elk, antelope, etc. that have made it this far might go into the winter in decent shape.<br /><br />Many years we celebrated Independence Day by taking advantage of the opportunity to go up to a <a href="http://santafewinefestival.com/" target="_blank">wine festival</a> near Santa Fe which features New Mexico wines. That festival is a bit further down the road, so this year we contented ourselves with work, house work, and making <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2011/07/celebrating-independence-day.html" target="_blank">another foray</a> into cooking ribs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eaPbq5e0WAE/U7mCFKqXEbI/AAAAAAAAB_0/0UX2ZwYNA7g/s1600/ribsnshiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eaPbq5e0WAE/U7mCFKqXEbI/AAAAAAAAB_0/0UX2ZwYNA7g/s1600/ribsnshiner.jpg" height="229" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />This year it was back ribs. A little salt and pepper is all they got before going onto the barbecue, indirect heat only with smoke from oak splits, four and a half hours at around 200 F.<br />A cold beer and some <a href="http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/skin-game-15" target="_blank">light reading</a> make tending the fire and the meat barely any work at all.<br /><br />Meanwhile, sauce, this one a ketchup based recipe with lots of added acid and a fair bit of heat, along with diced onion and celery. I'd post the recipe, but it isn't mine to share.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlvmlqaNF8/U7mEbM4vFmI/AAAAAAAACAA/SvKaWUmzOx0/s1600/IMGP2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlvmlqaNF8/U7mEbM4vFmI/AAAAAAAACAA/SvKaWUmzOx0/s1600/IMGP2113.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />For the last hour and a half or so, I wiped the meat with the sauce every ten to fifteen minutes to create a glazing. The sauce and glazing technique are both from A's father, who has been making fantastic ribs in a well seasoned&nbsp; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamado" target="_blank">mushi kamado</a> pot for decades. Lacking a ceramic pot steeped in years of smoke and vaporized meat essence, not to mention anything like the amount of practice, I didn't get to quite the same result. Nonetheless, <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFjVNmLjWjA/U7mFSAR3shI/AAAAAAAACAI/8zcpfjFXPZ0/s1600/ribs3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFjVNmLjWjA/U7mFSAR3shI/AAAAAAAACAI/8zcpfjFXPZ0/s1600/ribs3.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />at the risk of bragging, they came out pretty well. The low heat kept the sauce from burning except on the very ends of the bones, where it formed little crunch bits of carcinogenic goodness, and the meat was nicely seasoned and glazed. Another hour on the heat would have been good, but the meat still falls of the bone. The layer of connective tissue on the inside of the ribs wasn't quite to the point that it completely falls apart, hence the call for an extra hour. All I needed was an earlier start, another couple of chapters to read, and another <a href="http://www.shiner.com/beer" target="_blank">Shiner</a> (or so). <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9qLF6JOUug/U7mHEZ8h2qI/AAAAAAAACAU/vQon0H5hK9U/s1600/ribs1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9qLF6JOUug/U7mHEZ8h2qI/AAAAAAAACAU/vQon0H5hK9U/s1600/ribs1.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />In a completely uncompensated endorsement, if you can find it, I'd strongly recommend accompanying your summer grilled meats (or winter <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2007/12/dinner-blog.html" target="_blank">elk frites</a>) with Korbel's <a href="http://www.korbel.com/california-champagnes/rouge/" target="_blank">"Rouge"</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WG4Sa189APo/U7mLHebGRWI/AAAAAAAACAg/85s6w6sI7HA/s1600/IMGP2123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WG4Sa189APo/U7mLHebGRWI/AAAAAAAACAg/85s6w6sI7HA/s1600/IMGP2123.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />A medium-dry sparkling pinot noir/cabernet blend, this is a medium bodied red that goes well with well handled game, not so tannic that it overpowers the meat, but still handles the richness of barbecued ribs well. At +/- $12 a bottle, it isn't too much of an extravagance to go with a nice dinner.<br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-82389823418820445072014-03-29T09:50:00.000-06:002014-03-29T09:50:19.268-06:00interface, part 2Last year we had cat and squirrel <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2013/07/urban-wildlife-interface.html" target="_blank">through the glass</a>. Come the new year, the parties have stepped up their game a bit:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-csz3wyOMM_c/UwWKUl1D4nI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/PTUBoVPqTR4/s1600/IMGP0915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-csz3wyOMM_c/UwWKUl1D4nI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/PTUBoVPqTR4/s1600/IMGP0915.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Getting up into the tree, the cat can't quite keep up with the tree rat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uemJjMEEyNs/UwWK16bv7xI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/jar3c_bUnNs/s1600/IMGP0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uemJjMEEyNs/UwWK16bv7xI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/jar3c_bUnNs/s1600/IMGP0923.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />So, he takes his metaphorical ball and goes home (look on the right side of the trunk, one cat-height above Tommy's back).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkpFYMIK6kg/UwWLf5ft7LI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nIVgChIwncg/s1600/IMGP0925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkpFYMIK6kg/UwWLf5ft7LI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nIVgChIwncg/s1600/IMGP0925.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br />&nbsp;Rematch?<br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-51830633058240136032014-02-23T07:00:00.000-07:002014-02-23T07:00:01.946-07:00PollenRagweed, <a href="http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/detail.asp?weed=80" target="_blank">kochia</a>, grass, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larrea_tridentata" target="_blank">creasote bush</a>, or elm, all take second seat to juniper, which fills the eyes with tears and the air with sneezes come this time of year in the Southwest.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0clmvYF7m4/UwWR2yHBxiI/AAAAAAAAB9w/a394AbcV2T0/s1600/juniper+pollen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m0clmvYF7m4/UwWR2yHBxiI/AAAAAAAAB9w/a394AbcV2T0/s1600/juniper+pollen.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div><br />That isn't dust, it's pollen knocked loose by a thrown stone and a small portion of what that tree is producing right not. The occasional 70 degree day in February doesn't come without a price. <br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-89006972102801164112014-02-19T21:40:00.000-07:002014-02-19T21:40:03.999-07:00Another season goneLast weekend marked the end of quail season here, which is pretty much all she wrote until spring turkey and then the long slow spell (hunting-wise) before dove and grouse in September.<br /><br />We didn't take much advantage of our opportunities, work again interfering with life. This was a surprisingly decent quail year and, if it will just rain or snow a bit in the next couple of months and we get a normal monsoon in the summer, next year might be pretty good. That said, my folks and sister came out for an early 76th weekend for Dad and only bumped three coveys in two days and a whole lot of miles. The first of those was gratifyingly large, well over 20 birds, but took off down a thirty mile an hour tailwind and flew way, way out there. We pursued nonetheless but never found them.<br /><br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTCwAbiGO7U/UwWBBBkEVqI/AAAAAAAAB8g/4HLMDDqdf8w/s1600/IMGP0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dTCwAbiGO7U/UwWBBBkEVqI/AAAAAAAAB8g/4HLMDDqdf8w/s1600/IMGP0535.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The second day of our hunt, the weather went from 70 degrees with a thirty mile an hour wind to 28 degrees and overcast, all day long. One of the coveys we ran into flushed at 200 yards and flew another six, then flushed wild a second time and just about went out of sight. Late season, tough hunting.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6ZyOiz3Hg/UwWCcMsE1GI/AAAAAAAAB8s/55PhV0roqnY/s1600/IMGP0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jT6ZyOiz3Hg/UwWCcMsE1GI/AAAAAAAAB8s/55PhV0roqnY/s1600/IMGP0001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />A month ago, back around the end of duck season, A and I headed north up to our old stomping grounds on the Rio Bravo and got together with friend Matt for a weekend of duck hunting.&nbsp; The first day didn't go real well, as we hadn't been out scouting. We found a spot in the dark where a half dozen mallards were roosting in a nook of the current, but ducks passing over once light came were few&nbsp; and not interested in our spot. The flood last September took out a lot of&nbsp; sediment and the river isn't as spread out as it has been in other years, making it a little harder to find a setup. Our second day, we had a much better place and had ducks trying to land as we were putting out the decoys.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nRnMFVIyljQ/UwWFAd8JBBI/AAAAAAAAB84/sOpmlClQPbM/s1600/IMGP0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nRnMFVIyljQ/UwWFAd8JBBI/AAAAAAAAB84/sOpmlClQPbM/s1600/IMGP0006.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />It wasn't perfect, though, and several big bunches of mallards gave us hard looks and circled, but wouldn't commit. A pair of widgeon tried to land in the dekes- those we just flat missed. At the end of the day, we had a few birds and quite a bit of fun.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuOSnsEGueM/UwWFdAwJGKI/AAAAAAAAB9A/nFI-fqqOaYw/s1600/IMGP0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuOSnsEGueM/UwWFdAwJGKI/AAAAAAAAB9A/nFI-fqqOaYw/s1600/IMGP0518.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />&nbsp;So, now the big game proclamation is out and the deadline to apply for next fall's hunts is fast approaching. Time to sit down with a calendar, a map, and the odds from last year's draw to try to figure out how to get the best out of a little time afield and maybe put some meat in the freezer.<br /><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-37674549344099065252014-01-05T14:22:00.000-07:002014-01-05T14:24:52.938-07:00Are you gonna eat that?Turkey vulture trying to face a <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ferruginous_Hawk/id" target="_blank">ferruginous hawk</a> off of his kill, just outside of town:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXj-ZMuzKGI/UsnMj1j7X8I/AAAAAAAAB8M/ijl2mb2iL8Q/s1600/TUVU_FEHA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXj-ZMuzKGI/UsnMj1j7X8I/AAAAAAAAB8M/ijl2mb2iL8Q/s320/TUVU_FEHA.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not much more detail in the photo available, as this is a crop from a long shot. The birds were on private land, preventing a closer approach.<br />A's photo.mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-553626788273332432013-12-31T21:46:00.001-07:002013-12-31T21:46:36.314-07:00Happy New YearA happy and prosperous 2014 to all y'all- tight lines, smooth swings, a favorable breeze, steady hold and a smooth release...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmOTW2BJc3M/UsOdlCWi1XI/AAAAAAAAB78/3r0DsoNcu-I/s1600/Sun13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TmOTW2BJc3M/UsOdlCWi1XI/AAAAAAAAB78/3r0DsoNcu-I/s320/Sun13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-6322280859217509382013-12-07T10:29:00.000-07:002013-12-07T10:29:53.359-07:00reference blogging<a href="http://mallardofdiscontent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Chad Love</a> on the <a href="http://mallardofdiscontent.blogspot.com/2013/12/plains-desert-perception.html" target="_blank">lack of advocacy</a> for grassland and prairie conservation. He makes the point that there is little public land for the public to access to develop an appreciation for the grasslands. I think he's on to something. I've written before on how a <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2012/10/two-months.html" target="_blank">regular connection</a> to a place encourages advocacy for its preservation. Western states that limit out-of-state licenses are making a mistake in some respects, in my opinion, by shutting out or limiting a national audience that cares about habitat, which is often on federal land. As Chad notes, there is precious little federal prairie for people to tramp about, hunt across, camp on, or care for in contrast to the millions of acres we can access further west.<br /><br />New to this blog roll, and off Querencia, find <a href="http://gerardcox.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hits and Misses</a>: "Hunting, fishing, cooking and other critical aspects of life". Gee, nothing simpatico there at all. In any event, <a href="http://gerardcox.blogspot.com/2013/11/making-over-smle-sporter-part-2.html" target="_blank">check out</a> Gerard Cox's reworking of a sporterized Lee Enfield in the style of a British sporting rifle. Neat work.mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-40859375307442943142013-11-29T10:51:00.001-07:002013-11-29T10:51:52.198-07:00bird seasonLast weekend was the first weekend of quail season in New Mexico. A and I got out and checked for a couple of coveys we'd seen earlier in the year. We didn't find those birds, but drove and walked and, eventually, put up 4 coveys. One of those was only a few birds and got a pass, but the others were decent coveys of a dozen or more.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAZDI4X3npI/UpjUDG6c6GI/AAAAAAAAB7s/XocrMAOdoSI/s1600/IMGP0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAZDI4X3npI/UpjUDG6c6GI/AAAAAAAAB7s/XocrMAOdoSI/s320/IMGP0140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />We lost the better part of one covey after they flushed, then ran, peeling out of the group until you're left chasing 1 or 2 birds (a desert quail specialty). After that we swung&nbsp; back through the area where they had first broken up hoping to find some singles or the rest of the covey. A pair got up and I dropped one a ways out. Booker had it marked and started a nice retrieve, then, on his way back, kicked up another couple of birds only ten yards away. Thinking we had a bird in hand, I shot one of those as well. Unfortunately, finding the bird is more fun than bringing it all the way back to hand, and Books dropped his bird to go find the new one. The bird dropped wasn't dead yet, and when we went to pick it up had left only a few saliva gummed feathers behind and was never to be found. Not a great performance in any aspect. On the other hand, it was the first day of the season.<br /><br />Most interesting part of all this?<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--kGJ94P4o-0/UpjSolbaVhI/AAAAAAAAB7g/mBkUaMYxIrw/s1600/IMGP0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--kGJ94P4o-0/UpjSolbaVhI/AAAAAAAAB7g/mBkUaMYxIrw/s320/IMGP0145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Blues and bobwhites, living together. Well, at least in proximity.<br /><br /><br /><br />In celebration of running into some wild bobwhites, we fried our birds and ate them with cream gravy, rice, sauteed greens, black eyed peas and cornbread.&nbsp; <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qwwVxpJszRs/UpjRkK_FxnI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/4-pjM4bKQMo/s1600/IMGP4823-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qwwVxpJszRs/UpjRkK_FxnI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/4-pjM4bKQMo/s320/IMGP4823-001.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />Here's to hoping we can find a few more this weekend. While far from a good year for quail, at least there are a few birds out there.<br /><br />In a decent quail year, if one was willing to drive a couple hundred miles in a day and had just a little bit of luck, I think you could manage a 4 species, all NM quail slam with bobwhites, blues, Gambel's, and Mearns. One of these days, I'd like to find out, just 'cause. mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-82373223585237188652013-11-24T18:21:00.002-07:002013-11-24T18:21:07.758-07:00an answer from the 'netA couple of years (well, apparently 4 years) ago, Booker and I <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2009/11/eclipse-plumage.html" target="_blank">came across an unusual duck</a> and I speculated on these pages that it was a bird in eclipse plumage, or perhaps a hybrid. A number of folks commented and offered informed opinions or guesses as to what exactly we had, but no definitive answer was forthcoming.<br /><br />Recently, flipping through some outdoor wish book or another, I became aware that Greenhead Gear™ is making a <a href="http://www.wingsupply.com/decoys-accessories/duck-decoys/avery-outdoors-greenhead-gear-pro-grade-hybrid-black-duck-surface-feeders-2-pack/" target="_blank">"hybrid &nbsp;black duck decoy"</a>.<br /><br />Looks just about the same to me:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGzL_L9CT3E/UpKjcUicqzI/AAAAAAAAB7I/kqvcS7ukJpE/s1600/decoy+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mGzL_L9CT3E/UpKjcUicqzI/AAAAAAAAB7I/kqvcS7ukJpE/s320/decoy+image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UV6NAWPMxI0/SvxZVAF6cEI/AAAAAAAABC8/E6NHH1DG03E/s1600/IMGP0469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UV6NAWPMxI0/SvxZVAF6cEI/AAAAAAAABC8/E6NHH1DG03E/s320/IMGP0469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Once again, the internet answers all questions (a Google Image Search for "hybrid black duck" further suggests that the bird we got was indeed just that).mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-16648671671177939832013-10-14T15:34:00.000-06:002013-10-14T15:34:36.730-06:00Lobster risottoThis year turned out to be no great shakes for mushrooming in our part of the Southwest. The Pacific Northwest is having an <a href="http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2013/09/fungi-on-tap.html" target="_blank">epic year </a>for mushrooms, and parts farther north of had a <a href="http://hungerandthirstforlife.blogspot.com/2013/08/butters-porcini-hunting-lexicon.html" target="_blank">good year</a> and did <a href="http://natureblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/monsoon-on-conejos-3-pagosa-springs.html" target="_blank">well</a>, but we just didn't see much. We started off with some cauliflower mushrooms and some oysters, but the boletes never did appear, even after the big rain in September.<br /><br />Some friends of ours were up in our old stomping grounds in north central NM (their old stomping grounds, too, as far as that goes) and found king boletes in September as well as what they were pretty sure were <a href="http://www.mushroomexpert.com/hypomyces_lactifluorum.html" target="_blank">lobster mushrooms</a>. Up north again soon after, they made a positive ID and found a few that were still good. From what they say, it was a really nice flush of lobsters, something we've never come across. J &amp; T generously shared their haul, so we made a "lobster" risotto after slicing a couple up, sauteing them in butter, and just eating them.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7J-fIMzzgRg/Ulxij_MhxEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/yXKWPKvgf5Y/s1600/IMGP4774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7J-fIMzzgRg/Ulxij_MhxEI/AAAAAAAAB6o/yXKWPKvgf5Y/s320/IMGP4774.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The risotto- <br />5 c grouse stock<br />1 c white whine (can't manage white whine? any color or ethnic background whine will also work, just make sure it is at least off dry).<br />1 1/2 c arborio rice or other medium grain rice<br />1/3 c finely chopped white onion or shallot.<br />Olive oil<br />butter<br />grated parmesan <br />fresh Italian parsley<br />1 c (or more!) chopped lobster mushroom<br /><br />A description of making risotto can be found <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2009/06/truffles.html" target="_blank">here</a> (not coincidentally, that risotto also featured gift fungus), so if you're not familiar with the process, you can read about it there.<br /><br />We've had lobster mushrooms in a dish of rabbit in brown sauce at <a href="http://local360.org/cafe-bar/" target="_blank">"Local 360" </a>in Seattle, which was a wonderful dish. Without diminishing the accomplishments of that chef, I'm inclined to credit the mushrooms, as this risotto was most excellent, without any other special ingredients or technique. The mushroom is toothsome and manages to combine seafood notes with a bit of earthiness, far superior to the crustacean version in my mind and a lot less work.<br /><br />Perhaps we'll get another big rain late in the season next year. If that happens, A and I are trekking up north to find us some dirt lobster. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GMvz8jMIIH0/UlxixVF-ciI/AAAAAAAAB6w/ksyBOOfHwus/s1600/IMGP4777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GMvz8jMIIH0/UlxixVF-ciI/AAAAAAAAB6w/ksyBOOfHwus/s320/IMGP4777.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-31272298228566983482013-10-06T19:09:00.004-06:002013-10-07T20:09:40.326-06:00big game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XhVxQ_tq_SI/UlIHdtYfP9I/AAAAAAAAB6Y/oCM4R-dRZ44/s1600/IMGP0133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XhVxQ_tq_SI/UlIHdtYfP9I/AAAAAAAAB6Y/oCM4R-dRZ44/s320/IMGP0133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />We just finished our first big game hunt of the year, a SE New Mexico pronghorn hunt. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/An-Outside-Chance-Classic-Essays/dp/0395500842" target="_blank">"The Heart of the Game"</a>, Thomas McGuane opines that "Hunting in your own backyard becomes with time, if you love hunting, less and less expeditionary." I love that essay and have considered his idea carefully, but haven't found myself at that place yet. A and I set out with an ice chest with 60 pounds of ice, another small ice chest with drinks and lunch, and a couple of big empties for quarters should things work out. We also each had a rifle, and binos, and our hunting packs minus all the survival gear, for we were within eyesight (not that that means much in the west) of town, about a half hour from our house.Not quite expeditionary, but not exactly traveling light. <br /><br />The country is grass flats and low ridges and mounds of greasewood and mesquite and there are quite a few antelope on our allotted area. Better still, we only had to share with one other hunter, whom we never saw.<br /><br />The first day, we had a good stalk on a really nice buck who was busy confronting a little guy. We got to within two hundred yards before getting made and never quite got to where we could get a shot at him. Much later, we saw a nice buck and two does a half-mile out, angling along a low ridge and then over it. We drove ahead, parked, and then snuck up to that ridge ourselves, resulting in A collecting her first big game with a nice shot at the standing buck. Between A's aversion to having her photo appear and the work of trying to get some meat in the box, we didn't take any pictures.&nbsp; Nonetheless, it was a good start to the year. A fair stalk and a good shot, taking him at 240 yards from shooting sticks followed by dressing and quartering on her own, with me holding the odd leg out of the way and offering too much advice. <br /><br />Today, pressure off, we went&nbsp; back out to see if I could fill my tag. A came to spot, carry, provide moral support, and took a few photos as well. The first stalk was good, getting us to within 200 yards or so of a buck who was a bit small, so we backed out, leaving him bedded with his harem of does, and drove and glassed until we found a bit heavier-headed fellow all by himself. A bit of a ridge provided cover to walk, then walk bent over, then crawl, then slither up until we had closed to about 250. The buck was bedded, so I eased into a sitting position, settled into the sling, then set the rifle across my lap and took up the glasses to wait.<br /><br />A half hour later, he stood up, walked a little ways, stopped, and I shot him, a bit farther forward than I should have, breaking the shoulder as well as getting lung. Now we've got meat to cut and a couple of nice racks for the mantle.<br /><br />A few images from the hunt:<br /><br />Figuring out the first stalk:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lys8vlv8IP8/UlIA00YgWUI/AAAAAAAAB5E/N6L3cTewr-I/s1600/CIMG5110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lys8vlv8IP8/UlIA00YgWUI/AAAAAAAAB5E/N6L3cTewr-I/s320/CIMG5110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />and getting down to the low parts:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_72eY7y52g/UlICFfyAf1I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/Pm_6a42ZAv0/s1600/CIMG5112-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O_72eY7y52g/UlICFfyAf1I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/Pm_6a42ZAv0/s320/CIMG5112-001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />When you get low and slow, you can bump into all sorts of things:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CChutrBkVQQ/UlICoBP95JI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/QGGriYbalB4/s1600/CIMG5118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CChutrBkVQQ/UlICoBP95JI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/QGGriYbalB4/s320/CIMG5118.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>If I were to caption that, it would be something like "oh, crap!" as Mr. Jackrabbit was frozen upon finding himself way too close to a predator, flight paralyzed by proximity and fight not really an option. On the other hand, this guy inspired a momentary "oh, crap!" from me,<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYGAmgezYQA/UlIDW0s5okI/AAAAAAAAB5k/1tzhSmMfv-I/s1600/CIMG5125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYGAmgezYQA/UlIDW0s5okI/AAAAAAAAB5k/1tzhSmMfv-I/s320/CIMG5125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>until a second glance registered the narrow head and distinctive shovel nose of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterodon_nasicus" target="_blank">hog- nosed snake</a>. See the shovel snout?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wRXmGXlXm4/UlIDwROhtNI/AAAAAAAAB5s/fr-3naMACnM/s1600/CIMG5126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3wRXmGXlXm4/UlIDwROhtNI/AAAAAAAAB5s/fr-3naMACnM/s320/CIMG5126.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />The better to dig out frogs and toads with. Given that we were right on the edge of a prairie dog town, I was on pretty high alert for rattlers. Our walk up the hill became a crawl and, let me assure any readers that don't already know, forty-something knees do not like 80 yard crawls at all. Not one little bit.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uY-PBpM9pn8/UlIE1756-PI/AAAAAAAAB54/v_mj-ErO1Og/s1600/CIMG5132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uY-PBpM9pn8/UlIE1756-PI/AAAAAAAAB54/v_mj-ErO1Og/s320/CIMG5132.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />Settled into the sling, waiting for the buck to get up:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqPsLsW9UII/UlIFTogNfSI/AAAAAAAAB6A/vhw1gewdUAg/s1600/CIMG5136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PqPsLsW9UII/UlIFTogNfSI/AAAAAAAAB6A/vhw1gewdUAg/s320/CIMG5136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />and then the end of the hunt:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7D6oABxKeE/UlIGCinKOfI/AAAAAAAAB6M/91kmX94cV4o/s1600/CIMG5145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N7D6oABxKeE/UlIGCinKOfI/AAAAAAAAB6M/91kmX94cV4o/s320/CIMG5145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />The rifle bears mention. First, it is a .243 Winchester Model 70 featherweight in the "classic" action. The re-construction of the justly vaunted pre-64 model 70, Dad bought this rifle when US Repeating Arms announced it was closing the New Haven plant and it looked like there wouldn't be any more Model 70's. Controlled round feed, big claw extractor, smooth as silk out of the box and with a trigger that, once the glue had been scraped off the adjustment screw to, you know, adjust it, breaks nicely at two pounds. It's been waiting for a hunt for a few years now and Dad brought it out for me to use on this one. It'll hold 100 grain Sierra boat tails in an inch at a hundred and a better pronghorn gun I can't really imagine.<br /><br />Enough for now- we've got work to do. mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-71185886204487849022013-09-08T10:20:00.001-06:002013-09-08T10:20:46.932-06:00Let's be careful out there<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpa6Wat8k70/UiyjttKh_iI/AAAAAAAAB4s/BxhbmhxB158/s1600/IMGP4750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xpa6Wat8k70/UiyjttKh_iI/AAAAAAAAB4s/BxhbmhxB158/s320/IMGP4750.JPG" width="309" /></a></div><br /><br />&nbsp;If a picture is worth a thousand words, I figure this one has got at least a dozen expletives in it.<br /><br />4 feet of Mr. Western Diamondback would like to remind you that it's still hot, and that he and his brethren are still active.<br /><br /><br />No snakes, photographers, or Chessies were harmed in the making of this photograph. mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-32798845032659297752013-09-02T23:10:00.000-06:002013-09-02T23:10:03.890-06:00The season beginsGotta get taped up before the big day:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaGZog_DjDI/UiVtKv6iO8I/AAAAAAAAB4I/WR1-obyhsyU/s1600/IMGP4712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SaGZog_DjDI/UiVtKv6iO8I/AAAAAAAAB4I/WR1-obyhsyU/s320/IMGP4712.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br />A couple of layers of vet wrap and some duct tape go a long way toward mitigating hot sand, grass burrs, and mesquite thorns.<br /><br />We had a decent dove opener. One slow-ish day, one with plenty of opportunities. Booker even got a water retrieve:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-etPAdv5wYvE/UiVtpEGMHAI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/HMd1qs7-KLI/s1600/IMGP0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-etPAdv5wYvE/UiVtpEGMHAI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/HMd1qs7-KLI/s320/IMGP0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dad used his Ithaca 37 (49 years of bird shooting with that gun) to run a limit at 1.5 shells per bird. For me, it required 3.15 shells per bird (and, I just realized, 25 years of shooting my Citori). I didn't quite limit but it wasn't for lack of opportunity. A isn't discussing her average right now. She's only been shooting a shotgun for five years at this point.<br /><br />Booker is just glad to get out and pick up a bird, even if it is a hundred degrees out there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZQ9Hpu_Ssw/UiVuesvFpDI/AAAAAAAAB4c/ySzTKgyhP2E/s1600/IMGP0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gZQ9Hpu_Ssw/UiVuesvFpDI/AAAAAAAAB4c/ySzTKgyhP2E/s320/IMGP0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Hope everyone else had a good start to the best time of year.<br />mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37913725.post-56931063781056748792013-08-12T06:00:00.000-06:002013-08-12T06:00:00.875-06:00RibesRibes comprise the genus of currants and gooseberries, of which a number of wild varieties grow in the southwest mountains (and other places as well, I'm sure). I've been calling all those plants "currants" for a while, which is wrong, but "gooseberry" doesn't fit them all, either, so I suppose <a href="http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/White%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/ribes%202.htm" target="_blank">"ribes"</a> will be safe for now. A while back I posted about some plants that A and I thought were black currants or maybe wolf currants. After a friend suggested gooseberry, closer inspection and some taxanomic research has led us to conclude they are most likely <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ripi" target="_blank">orange gooseberries</a>, (<a href="http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/ribes_pinetorum.html" target="_blank">ribes pinetorum</a>, if you will) with a couple of bushes of <a href="http://nmrareplants.unm.edu/rarelist_single_photo_thumb.php?SpeciesID=157&amp;FileName=ribmes_det3.jpg&amp;Phototype=D&amp;Photographer=J.+Popp%2C+U.S.+Forest+Service%2C+Rocky+Mountain+Research+Station%2C+Flagstaff+Lab+Image+Library+at+www.rmrs.nau.edu%2Fimagedb" target="_blank">mescalero currants </a>as well.<br /><br />Mescalero currant flowers- no fruit yet:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WF6otNVfJVI/Uge76Qu-dAI/AAAAAAAAB3g/hbNheXt3lc4/s1600/IMGP3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WF6otNVfJVI/Uge76Qu-dAI/AAAAAAAAB3g/hbNheXt3lc4/s320/IMGP3657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Orange gooseberry still with flower:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPEF8hXzmFg/Uge8mUuG_EI/AAAAAAAAB3o/6EgmMh9puPk/s1600/IMGP3674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gPEF8hXzmFg/Uge8mUuG_EI/AAAAAAAAB3o/6EgmMh9puPk/s320/IMGP3674.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />I've seen the prickly bushes in various ranges in NM over the years, but never bearing much in the way of fruit. This year, the orange gooseberries in our local mountains looked to put on a pretty heavy crop, and we've been keeping an eye on them. Recently, we stopped off on a mushroom expedition and took advantage of some bushes carry lots of ripe fruit.<br /><br /><a href="http://honest-food.net/2013/07/29/wild-gooseberries-edible/" target="_blank">Hank Shaw</a> details dealing with them, a common sense sort of method- pick (wearing leather gloves), wash, boil briefly, mash, then strain. In our case, forty minutes of picking resulted in a few pounds of nice purple/black fruit, which resulted in enough juice for a recipe and a half of jelly. Straining the pulp of mashed ribes through a layer of old t-shirt set in a colander resulted in a nice clear juice.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MeiMFVwU_ZQ/Uge1k9nFYsI/AAAAAAAAB20/OzaV28YF7Zk/s1600/IMGP4436-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MeiMFVwU_ZQ/Uge1k9nFYsI/AAAAAAAAB20/OzaV28YF7Zk/s320/IMGP4436-001.JPG" width="259" /></a></div><br />For our ribes pinetorum jelly, we relied upon the Ball<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1376261250&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=blue+ball+book+of+canning" target="_blank"> Blue Book's</a> directions for "juice for jelly" as described for red currants:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qEE9n6RozIg/Uge6zFxTJmI/AAAAAAAAB3U/doAsGUk4VJg/s1600/IMGP4460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qEE9n6RozIg/Uge6zFxTJmI/AAAAAAAAB3U/doAsGUk4VJg/s320/IMGP4460.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />6 1/2 c orange gooseberry juice, extracted by a washing, then briefly simmering the berries, mashing them with a potato masher and then straining them through a cloth.<br /><br />7 csugar<br /><br />1 package pectin. Cooked following the directions in the book (or on the back of the pectin package).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7h5bseMacFA/Uge3Rd3CKgI/AAAAAAAAB3E/NxpJvGZmsuw/s1600/IMGP4463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7h5bseMacFA/Uge3Rd3CKgI/AAAAAAAAB3E/NxpJvGZmsuw/s320/IMGP4463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The resulting jelly came out pretty, but is pretty undistinguished. Surprisingly reminiscent of <a href="http://sometimesfarafield.blogspot.com/2010/09/back-alley.html" target="_blank">prickly pear jelly</a>, it is sweet with some of the same watermelon note, if less pronounced and perhaps a bit of a similar green note underlying the fruit. Overall, the berry flavor is more pronounced than with prickly pear. Still not nearly as good as elderberry or rosehip, to my taste, for our next batch we'll probably add a little lemon juice to try to brighten things up and perhaps get a more firm set. Another thought would be to steep a couple of ripe Thai chiles in with the fruit, to make a sweet/hot jelly.&nbsp; In the meantime, the elderberries look to make a crop, if not as heavily as last year, and we spotted some big rose hips up north if we can get to them. Of course, bird season opens in just three weeks, too. Things are looking to get busy. mdmnmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00191436711956580423noreply@blogger.com0